Grape Culture. 61 



and bad points in a bunch. He must be very careful in cutting 

 down his bunches, placing them on the boards with the best 

 side facing the judges. This work really requires great care, 

 and must be done properly, as they have often to travel long 

 distances, where they are to be staged without spot or blemish. 

 My first experience was in 1878, when I took grapes from 

 Kirkcudbrightshire to the Crystal Palace a distance of over 

 300 miles. These were boarded two and four bunches on a 

 board, which is a very bad system, not travelling at all to my 

 satisfaction. 



The following year I boarded all my grapes on single 

 boards, that is, one bunch to the board, carried them to New- 

 castle show and staged them there without spot or blemish. 

 Ever since then I have always used single boards, which are a 

 great advantage over the old system. They are also much 

 easier placed on single boards, as you can get round about them 

 as you wish. 



The illustration will show the kind of boards I use, about 

 15 inches in height, and 10 inches broad. Place sharp pegs in 

 the bottom of the stands to avoid slipping on exhibition table 

 or in chest. Place a piece of cotton wool over the board, 

 cover this very neatly with white cotton cloth and tack at the 

 back. This is far superior to white paper. Have two holes in 

 the board to pass your string through, which is to fix the bunch, 

 or rather, keep it in position. A screw should be driven in at 

 the back to fasten the string to, from which hangs your bunch. 

 Have in two or three strong tacks, to be used for fastening 

 wires to. We will now presume that the bunches are thus 

 placed on the boards ; then place these again carefully in your 

 box, made to hold eight boards, which is a very convenient size. 

 They must be carried very carefully to station and placed 

 longitudinally in the van. 



In 1894 I again carried grapes to the Crystal Palace on 

 single boards. This time I went from Clackmannanshire, a 

 distance of over 350 miles. You must not be above spending a 

 night in the van along with your boxes, or get excited when a 

 midnight change is to take place on a crowded platform. 



